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Lesson 2.
INDEX: Plan of action (and goals) for your second lesson.
Section 1. Check your progress UpGuitarHill on your progress graph.
Section 2. Your overall goal this lesson is to be able to play the song
called Sinnerman by Nina Simone. The chords are D Major and E
minor. We are still using the simple strum that we learned in our first
lesson. The words and chords for this song are on page 4. You can listen to
your teacher playing the song on the mp3 file you have been sent. Our goal with lesson 2 is to
increase your ability and confidence in guitar playing by slowly introducing a new chord and a
new song.
Section 3. These are the steps you must work through to be able to
play this lesson’s song.
Section 4. Practice new guitar concepts you have been shown with
exercises here. Also find new chords to learn in order to prepare for
the next lessons.
Section 5. Work through the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Section 6. Read the student motivation
Remember that the FAQ contains a number of additional knowledge areas that you must keep in mind, and strive towards perfecting, while you
progress through your initial lessons. The FAQ answers many questions like these: Am I holding the guitar correctly? Do I know the correct
right and left hand technique when playing guitar? Do I know what the right hand and left hand notation is for each hand? Etc.
If you are left-handed then you will need to click here to understand how this will affect you with your UpGuitarHill lessons.
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Section 1. Check how I am doing on my progress graph.
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Section 2. Your goal this lesson is to be able to play the song called
Sinnerman by Nina Simone.
Nina Simone
Nina Simone in 1969. The photo by Jackie Robinson was used as the cover of Simone's posthumous compilation
album Forever Young, Gifted & Black
Background information
February 21, 1933
Born
Tryon, North Carolina
United States
Died
Genres
April 21, 2003 (aged 70)
Carry-le-Rouet France
Jazz, blues, soul, R&B, folk, gospel
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She is best known for the following songs: "My Baby Just Cares for Me", "I Put a Spell on You", "Four
Women", "I Loves You Porgy", "Feeling Good", "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", "To Be Young, Gifted
and Black", "Mississippi Goddamn", "Ain't Got No, I Got Life" and "I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl".
Sinnerman is a gospel song and if you look for it on the internet, you will find many different
versions of the song.
Sinnerman uses the D Major chord which you already know but now introduces a new chord
called E minor or Em.
In this section (2.) below: I just want you to look over the song sheet and see how it is
presented. Note the two chords listed on the right hand side of the song. We are now busy
with the D Major chord and the E minor (or Em) chord.
Note: The song is presented on its own on pages 5. and 6. below. This will enable you to print
the song out, and have it easily available, when you learn to play it. I would recommend that
you acquire a book with A4 plastic sleeves and put this song into the next empty sleeve. You
can also print out the rest of the information pertaining to the lesson and file this in a separate
file. Ultimately you will want to grow your song file so that it contains all 30 songs (steps
UpGuitarHill) and have this on hand at all times in a pocket of your guitar case or guitar bag to
facilitate easy playing and practicing.
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Oh Sinner Man
Em
__ __ Oh sinner man, where you gonna run to
D
Oh sinner man, where you gonna run to
Em
Oh sinner man, where you gonna run to
D
Em
All on that day __
Em
Run to the Lord, Lord won’t you hide me
D
Run to the Lord, Lord won’t you hide me
Em
Run to the Lord, Lord won’t you hide me
D
Em
All on that day __
Em
Lord said sinnerman you should be praying
D
Lord said sinnerman you should be praying
Em
Lord said sinnerman you should be praying
D
Em
All on that day __
Em
Run to the sea, sea will be boiling
D
Run to the sea, sea will be boiling
Em
Run to the sea, sea will be boiling
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D
Em
All on that day __
Em
Run to the Lord, Lord won’t you hide me
D
Run to the Lord, Lord won’t you hide me
Em
Run to the Lord, Lord won’t you hide me
D
Em
All on that day __
Em
Lord said sinnerman step right in
D
Lord said sinnerman step right in
Em
Lord said sinnerman step right in
D
Em
All on that day __
(end song with one downward strum with Em then pause for one beat. Then one downward strum with D
Major and a final downward strum with Em)
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Section 3.
Below are the 7 steps you must work through to learn to play this
lesson’s song. Please work through the steps in order, perfecting each
step, before you move onto the next.
You will realise that the work here is very much the same as the first
song. Please do not be put off by this. Beginners need to start slowly
and work towards a solid base. Being able to play these first songs
properly means that you would have taken a very big jump into guitar
playing. Repetition is the only way towards perfecting your technique!
In the next song “Oh Susanna” we will be learning a new strum as well
as two new chords so hang in and stick to the plan. OK! ;~)
Step 1 (of 7): There are two chords in Sinnerman. The first chord is the
D Major
1 2 (numbers of the fingers you will be using to press the chord)
3
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Above is an image of the D Major chord showing how you will press the
chord with your left hand. The other image (below it) “the chord
diagram” shows D Major chord as a diagram.
Try and lift your wrist up as in the image below but keep
your fingers (not thumb) off the strings. Remember that the D Major
chord does not use the top string (6th string) (there is an X in the chord
diagram to show this) so you will run your thumb down the strings 5, 4,
3, 2, 1.
It may take a while to get the chord to sound clearly. i.e. strings may
sound muted of muffled. Or some strings sound clear but others don’t.
This is very normal for beginners. If you practice at perfecting the D
Major chord it will start to sound better. Just keep at it!
For more information read the FAQ on using the left and right hands to
play chords correctly.
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Step 2 (of 7): Now learn the E minor Chord.
Now focus on the second chord of Sinnerman which is the E minor
chord.
Play it and get it to sound clear.
Remember that to move from the D Major chord to the Em chord you
are simply moving your left hand fingers 1 & 2 (the finger formation)
that you had in the D Major chord upwards and together and placing
them in the second fret on strings 4 and 5. It is important to visualize
the move first and then try and do it. Then when you move back down
to the D Major chord from Em you will be moving this formation down
again by 2 strings and then adding the 3rd finger to form the D Major
Chord.
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Step 3 (of 7): Now learn to change your left hand position from the D
Major chord to the Em Chord and back again.
Keep trying until you can get both the chords to sound clearly. Also
practice to get the chord change to be fluent. i.e. to land in the correct
position each time so that the chord sounds clearly and without pause.
Here is a link to a video clip showing you how to change between the
two chords: http://www.upguitarhill.com/Vids/Lesson2.htm
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Step 4 (of 7): Sinnerman uses the Simple Strum that we learned in Tom
Doolie. This is a particular nylon guitar strum that is in 4/4 time. 4/4
timing means that we count 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 (repeat) or 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,
8 as you strum. The song Sinnerman (like Tom Doolie and Hush Little
Baby) is also in 4/4 (or quarter) time. Remember our goal in lesson 3 is
only to grow the amount of chords you can play and to give you
another song with which to do this! As such we don’t want to
complicate this by adding a new strum.
Here is some revision of the simple strum.
To play this strum you will use your thumb T and strum it down (the
thumb or T is also called “p” or “P” in guitar notation) and then follow
this with the index finger F (or fingers) and also strum this down.
P
F
This strum alternates P F P F ,P F P F etc. on the count of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
7, 8 and keeps repeating itself. Note 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 is exactly the
same as 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &.
Below is the link to a video clip showing you how to do the simple
strum: http://www.upguitarhill.com/Vids/Lesson2.htm
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Step 5 (of 7): Now we learn how to strum to the words of Sinnerman
but still without playing any chords as yet. i.e. just leave the strings
open.
The important thing to realize is that each time you see an underline
you should strum with your P.
i.e.
For the first line:
P FPFP F
PF
PF
P F  Right hand fingers
1,2 3,4 1, 2
3,4
1,2,
3,4  Beat / count / strums or
1& 2& 1&
2&
3&
4&
__
man,
where you gonna run to
__
Oh sinner
Note the 4 beat introduction before you start singing.
At each underline you play a P (Thumb) followed by an F (index finger).
Use your ear and common sense to find the best rhythm that fits, as
the above is only a close approximation.
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Step 6 (of 7): Now we introduce the chord E minor (or Em) Chord into
the first line.
You start the song with its two beat introduction by playing the Em
chord and then try to change to D Major where it enters into the song
at Oh at the beginning of line 2.
Em
__ __ Oh sinner man, where you gonna run to
D
Oh sinner man, where you gonna run to
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Step 7 (of 7): Now you should be ready to bring everything together
and play the song Sinnerman by Nina Simone.
You must use your ear to hear the song in order to get the timing to
work correctly with your voice, the chord-producing left hand and
strumming right hand. If it sounds right then it is!
This song has been chosen for its simplicity because you need to focus
on the chord changes and timing etc. and not get side tracked by other
complexity. Therefore, it has a very simple structure.
To benefit you must aim to pay the song all the way through i.e. keep at
it. By doing this you will (through the length of the song and its
repetitions) be perfecting your ability with Em and D Major (or DM).
Also the songs length will force you to keep at it and not waiver as you
perfect your technique.
That’s it for Sinnerman. Well done!
Now for some exercises to get your guitar skills up!
Section 4.
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Practice of the new guitar concepts and preparation for the next lesson,
is given in additional exercises below. Note that this is a repeat of the
first lesson (last week’s lesson) and as such, I require you to keep doing
the exercises for another week. I hope that if you have been keeping at
it, your left hand will be getting tougher and stronger and chords will be
sounding clearer. In addition, your timing with the strumming will start
to become more precise!
Additional exercises to practice chord clarity, chord changes, and
strumming technique:
There are 3 exercises you need to work through before you are fully
ready for your next lesson.
1. Use the three chords you know i.e. Em, A7 and D Major and
play them against the following timing: 8, 4, 2
i.e. Play Em (8 times) with P F and then A7 (8 times) with P F
then and then D Major (8 times) with P F
i.e. P F P F P F P F for Em and then P F P F P F P F for A7 and
then P F P F P F P F for D Major
When you are finished working through the three chords then
play them all again but now reduce 8 times to 4 times and then
again but reduce 4 times to 2 times.
Do this as an exercise by moving from 8 to 4 to 2 and then
repeat until you feel you can do the chord changes and strums
fluently. This may take time so please be patient.
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The above exercise will assist you to reinforce the chords into
your playing ability and help you to apply them correctly and in
time to the rhythm.
2. As additional work in preparation for the next lessons, you can
also try to learn the following 2 new chords. By learn I am
asking you only to get to know the names and formation of the
two new chords and be able to put them onto the guitar fret
board.
If you feel up to it, you can try exercise 3. and 4. But don’t fret
if you feel it is going to be too tough initially. I am adding this
in as an optional extra for the brave students out there! For
the more cautious ones, take your time and slowly build up
ability to move into the exercises below when you are ready.
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3. Now try to use all the chords you know i.e. D Major, A7, E
minor, E Major and A Major and play them against the
following timing: 8, 4, 2
i.e. Play D Major (8 times) with P F then A7 (8 times) with P F
and E minor (8 times) then E Major (8 times) and A Major (8
times). When I say times, you can also think strums. i.e. P F
alternating.
When you are finished playing through all the chords then play
them again but now reduce 8 times to 4 times and then 4 times
to 2.
This will assist you to learn the different chords and help you to
apply them correctly in time to the rhythm. It does take time
for your hands to learn where to go to play the chords.
In addition, it will take you time to be able to do faster changes
from one chord to another as you reduce your times from 8 to
4 and then to 2.
Take it slowly. Remember that learning guitar is not a
destination but a journey. Gradually, as you get better and
your hands get fitter and stronger, you will be able to speed up.
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4. Now play the following chords as above in 8, 4, 2 times. Note
we are now using the simplified chord symbols to identify the
chords. i.e. as they are given on the top of the lines of the
song.
This lesson is teaching you to handle the shorter symbols for
the chords and to play them as you read them.
For example we call E minor = Em, E Major is just = E etc.
D Em A7 D
E
A
D
E
A7 D
E
A7
Em E A
D
E
A7 D
E
A
E
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This is the end of your second Lesson. I hope you found this lesson easy
enough and enjoyable. Please feel free to contact me when you are
ready for your next step UpGuitarHill.
Our next song is “Oh Susanna”. "Oh! Susanna" is a song written by
Stephen Foster. It was first published on February 25, 1848. Popularly
associated with the California Gold Rush, the song is occasionally
(incorrectly) called "Banjo on My Knee". Working through this song you
will be able to apply your new chords A Major and E Major and you will
also learn a new strum called the “pick strum”.
Also, remember to use the mp3 file of the song (with your guitar
teacher playing the song), listen to the song, and try to play along to it.
And don’t forget to visit the http://www.UpGuitarHill.com web site and
read or download the FAQ’s (the download button can be found at the
bottom of each FAQ) as these have been included to assist you with
necessary guitar playing information and skills that you will require for
the instrument.
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The Student Motivation is very important because this will help you
understand that bigger picture with you as a student and learning the
nylon string guitar.
Remember the nylon guitar can become your very best friend for life.
Enjoy!
Mark@UpGuitarHill.com
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For left-handed guitarists please read this:
All instructions below assume you are right handed. If you are left-handed then your guitar will
need to be strung opposite to instructions you find here. With the top string (Thickest base E
string) on bottom and bottom string (Thinnest treble & nylon E string) on top as guitar will now,
be played in the exact opposite to a right-handed student. i.e. with tuning pegs on your right.
As a left-handed guitarist then, to follow along with this lesson, you simply swop instructions in
the lesson for the right hand to the left hand and vice versa.
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